Hi there. I am trying to install Puppy Linux to my mom's laptop, to free up the disc drive. I chose this distribution because of the fact that she is used to Windows, and this looked great for her. I accidentally must have erased Windows Xp off of the laptop when I tried the Knoppix Live-CD, so currently there isn't any OS permanentally on the laptop (Compaq Presario 700). When I try to put it on the harddrive, it comes up with "Puppy cannot find a sitable partition for your personal data file......The USB Flash or hard drive must have a MSDOS or VFAT partition...." Can anyone tell me how to load it on the hard drive so personal settings will be able to be saved on the laptop. Thanks in advance.

If the laptop came with XP pre-installed, the chances are very good that the drive is formatted NTFS. Puppy is giving the error that it can't find a suitable partition because it can't natively write to an NTFS partition. So, you have several options here...

To save your personal settings, you don't have to completely install puppy to the hard drive.

You can either figure out some way to copy a blank pup001 file to the hard drive, so that puppy can create its home partition there are save your personal settings. You can then continue to boot from a live CD, but your personal settings will be saved to the hard drive. (you can download the pup001 file from the same site where you download puppy, but getting it onto your hard drive without a working windows install might be tricky).

You can try the multisession Cd, which will save all of your settings back to the CD when you shut down. thus your settings are saved, and no hard drive is required.

You can store your pup001 file on a usb key.

OR, I think there's a utility built into puppy (nearly positive, but it's late and my brain is fried) that will allow you to reformat your hard drive. Someone with a bit clearer head will have to walk you through it (if nobody's posted about it by tomorrow night, I'll type it up). Once you reformat the drive as MSDOS or VFAT, puppy should install with no problems.

Thanks for the help, I shall try and see if any of the suggested will help. Personally, I would prefer to free up the CD drive, but if it's not likely to happen, I will have to settle with what I'm given.

Hey Youngblood
I might be able to help you with that one ! ( it's Knoppix live right ? )
with the Penguin Icon Menu , select " root shell "
into this root shell, type " knoppix-installer"
this will give you an info requester , hit "OK"
( there might be one more info requester with just one option = " OK " )
Then you'll get a list of options .... select " Partition Hard disk "
this will run Qparted with root privies !
make your changes and quit Qparted
you'll be back at the install Options pop up ... select Quit with out saving configuration ....
DONE_________________Folding for TeamMacOSX

Being New to Linux , It is very frustrating to have Knoppix set all Storage media to Read Only ! Why they do that , I haven't a Clue !
I have Knoppix 3.8 installed to HDD on my Celeron D , and running Live on my new AMD 64.
The first HDD partition and install went OK
since the second install attempt , I haven't been able to get the second HDD fixed yet ! It was running Win 98 .... partitioned to ext3 and installed ubuntu Linux .. which wouldn't boot fully .... live booted Knoppix and it HOSED the Partitioning scheme .....
This weekend , I hope to get that straight ... We'll see ....._________________Folding for TeamMacOSX

Personally, I would prefer to free up the CD drive, but if it's not likely to happen, I will have to settle with what I'm given.

Puzzled here ??

Running the Puppy Live CD doesn't tie up the CD at all.
Once the system is up and running, everything is in Ram and your data is written to the Pup001 file on the hard drive. The CD can be removed/replaced with no consequences.

Hey Youngblood
I might be able to help you with that one ! ( it's Knoppix live right ? )
with the Penguin Icon Menu , select " root shell "
into this root shell, type " knoppix-installer"
this will give you an info requester , hit "OK"
( there might be one more info requester with just one option = " OK " )
Then you'll get a list of options .... select " Partition Hard disk "
this will run Qparted with root privies !
make your changes and quit Qparted
you'll be back at the install Options pop up ... select Quit with out saving configuration ....
DONE

I think that might be wrong. If you quit without saving configuration, does qtparted write the changes you made to the hard drive partition table?

Getting root in Knoppix is tricky. It was too complicated for me. That's one of the reasons I like Puppy.

Youngblood, Considering your lack of experience, perhaps your best bet at this point is to get a copy of Partition Magic 8. You can boot from the Partition Magic CD and make the changes you want from a GUI. It is even possible that you can be a hero and save the Windows XP, if it hasn't been overwritten, by repairing the partition table. You can then use Partition Magic to resize the Windows partition (after first defragmenting Windows,) and create a new ext2 partition for Puppy to install to.

The reason Knoppix allows read-only access to the hard drive is to prevent unintentional damage. I wonder how Youngblood managed to get Knoppix to accidentally erase XP off his mom's laptop.